FF with best OST

[Wolf Kanno]

Those were composed by Tsukasa Masuko, actually.

And what you're talking about is actually a natural progression that is logical for a game like FF, and it's not actually dependent on the composer - Uematsu's soundtrack to the Last Story is pretty much the same deal. Of course music is no longer center stage because designers rely more on cinematic scenes and voice acting to build their narrative and emotional impact on. For retro style games like Undertale or SMT it's still more about themes that stick with you as a direct reference to days gone by where the technology was weaker so you needed a good theme to make the music bearable.

Not saying either is better or worse, just different approaches that are the result of a natural progression in game design philosophy. Which is why I think soundtracks like XII's and XIII's should be judged on their own merits, taking into account the context that makes them what they are, rather than a raw juxtaposition with old titles and basing it all on how memorable the tracks are. Because damn it, of course The Lunarians are gonna be way more memorable because they sounded like trout so needed a melody that would stick. The things that make that track fantastic are just something totally different to what makes tracks like Dust to Dust fantastic.

Fair enough, but I am saying for me that if it came between the two styles, I prefer my themes to be a bit more than ambience, hence why I have a hard time enjoying XII and XIII's OST because they can't fulfill one of my requirements. They are still strong musical works on their own, but best OST to me signifies that I can place some requirements that allow me to ignore certain works. Even then I would point out that some series like the Silent Hill franchise and Persona have shown you can do both an atmospheric soundtrack along with a melody focused emotional pull style, so even then I would argue both games could have given us the best of both worlds.

[Forsaken Lover]

Honestly, my choice changes based on my mood.

I think FFXII's OST is underrated but it's still nothing compared to the all time greats.

I also wish FFIV was getting more love in here. Come on, people! Battle With the Four Fiends? The best normal boss theme in the series? Red Wings? Theme of Love? Ingrates, the lot of you. Where would your precious FFV and VI be without FFIV's greatness?

But as for the top spot...I'll have to say either IX or XIII. IX has You're Not Alone, which very well might be the single greatest song in FF history and that's only the tip of the iceberg.

XIII has so many great tunes too that it's hard to pick one to single out. I'll probably go with this


Absolutely beautiful. One of the great "sad songs" in FF history. In fact...I think I'll amke a topic on that.

But in the meantime, I also want to give a shoutout to XIII-2 which had a soundtrack as eclectic as the game itself. It was beautiful. You had rap, heavy metal, jazz, Latin choirs, piano solos... It had it all.

[maybee]

Going to vote for VI, IX and XIII's OSTs



IV, VIII and X for runner- ups.

[Galuf]

FL mentioned all the great iv songs. Only one I can add is zeromus

[Fox]

I will never understand the love for XIII's soundtrack. Not that it's bad or anything, but it has so little going for it in terms of interesting melodies. For me, XIII is a soundtrack that is 'nice to have in the background, but boring to listen to on its own'. With a few good exceptions of course such as Blinded by Light. XIII-2's soundtrack is a big improvement for me, although still a few levels below VI, VII, VIII, IX and X.

Of those, all are consistently high quality and all have their exceptional pieces. But overall I have to give it to FFIX, which is a masterclass in using leitmotif. IX is by far the strongest soundtrack when it comes to variations on a small number of themes to create emotional connections to those themes. But it also breaks away from time to time for an outstanding standalone piece like You're Not Alone or Hilda Garde.